The present invention relates to a system and method of providing an interactive computer-hosted game to multiple players via a communications system.
Computer-hosted games are popular and comprise a wide variety of game subject matter ranging from conventional games such as chess to more exotic games such as flight combat simulators. Traditionally, in most of these games the player competed against the computer, which emulated an opponent, or against another player present at the location of the computer, or a combination of both.
More recently, some computer-hosted games have provided features whereby two or more players can play the game, either cooperatively or competitively, via modem-based, local area network based, or Internet based telecommunications links between each player""s computer.
While such multi-player games have enjoyed considerable success, they are relatively limited in the number of players which can participate, often allowing no more than a maximum of four players, and require structured telecommunications links between the player""s computers in order to function properly. Specifically, either a dial up telephone link or a local area network link must be established between the player""s computers so that minimal latency and guaranteed deliverability of information through the telecommunications link is provided.
Particular examples of Internet-based games include Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs), AIR WARRIOR, WARBIRDS, SUBSPACE, and MERIDIAN 59. MUDs are text based games where multiple users interact, but only in small groups. Players are grouped according to the room in which the player is at any time. Only those players in the same room will interact with each other. However, since the game is text based, latency of transmission of information is not a problem for a smooth operation of the game. Further, there is usually a limit on the number of players who may enter a room at any time.
In AIR WARRIOR, WARBIRDS, SUBSPACE and MERIDIAN 59, there appears to be no apparent limit on the number of players who may play the game at any given time, nor a means of assessing band width requirements and throughput. While the air space of the game may be logically divided, there is no control over the bandwidth of transmission. All information is transmitted on the assumption that all information will arrive at the intended destination in time. Clearly, the assumption becomes less viable as the number of payers and their level of interaction increases.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel multi-layer game system and method which obviates or mitigates at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is desirable to have a multi-layer game system and method which will support a relatively larger number of players and which does not require structured telecommunications links such as dial up telephone links or local area network links.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a game server for a multi-player game system. The game server comprises:
a game driver for executing a multi-player game and generating game information for playing the multi-player game by at least one game client through a telecommunication network,
prioritizing means for prioritizing the game information and responsively queuing the game information for transmission to the at least one game client,
aperture control means for optimizing the game information for transmission to the at least one game client, and
communications means for transmitting the game information through the telecommunication network to the at least one game client and for receiving processed user input through the telecommunication network from the at least one game client and transmitting the processed user input to the game driver.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided method of operating a multi-player game system having a game server communicating with a plurality of game clients connected through a telecommunications network. The method comprises the steps of, for each game client:
prioritizing game information generated by a game driver executing a multi-player game,
queuing the game information in order of priority for transmission to the game client,
optimizing transmission of the game information to the game client,
transmitting the game information through the telecommunication network to the game client,
receiving processed user input through the telecommunication network from the game client and transmitting the processed user input to the game driver, and
repeating the steps for playing the multi-player game.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an article of manufacture comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for implementing a multi-player game playable by at least one game client connected through a telecommunications network. The computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprises:
computer readable program code means for causing the computer to prioritize game information generated by a game driver executing a multi-player game,
computer readable program code means for causing the computer to queue the game information in an order of priority for transmission to the at least one game client,
computer readable program code means for causing the computer to optimize transmission of the game information to the at least game client,
computer readable program code means for causing the computer to transmit the game information through the telecommunication network to the at least one game client,
computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive processed user input through the telecommunication network from the game client and to transmit the processed user input to the game driver.